Johnny Sheffield
Biography
Johnny Sheffield was an American actor who became a child star playing Boy in the Tarzan films and later led his own jungle series. Born in Pasadena, California, to the actor Reginald Sheffield, he first drew notice in 1938 as Pud in a West Coast staging of On Borrowed Time. In 1939 he was cast as Tarzan's adopted son in Tarzan Finds a Son! (1939) after Johnny Weissmuller chose him from more than 300 young actors. That same year he appeared in Babes in Arms (1939), and he played the young title figure in Knute Rockne All American (1940). Sheffield portrayed Boy in three MGM Tarzan movies and five more after the series moved to RKO. He then starred as Bomba the Jungle Boy in twelve films from 1949 to 1955, beginning with Bomba, the Jungle Boy and ending with Lord of the Jungle. He also made a television pilot, Bantu, the Zebra Boy.
79years old at death
- Born Pasadena
- Died Chula Vista
- Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
Movie Career
- Films
- 11
- Career span
- 11 years1939 to 1950
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Big break
Sheffield was chosen by Johnny Weissmuller for the role of Boy in Tarzan Finds a Son! at age 7, beating more than 300 other juvenile actors who were interviewed.
A first
Sheffield portrayed Bomba 12 times, a count higher than any other character he played. He retired from films at 24 after his twelfth Bomba movie, "Lord of the Jungle," in 1955.
First role
Sheffield played Pud in a 1938 West Coast staging of the Broadway hit On Borrowed Time. Dudley Digges starred in the production, and Victor Moore appeared as Gramps.
Johnny Sheffield movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Richard Thorpe directed three of these films, Kurt Neumann three and Wilhelm Thiele two. Johnny Weissmuller appears in eight of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Johnny Weissmuller's page
Maureen O'Sullivan's page
Brenda Joyce's page
Barton MacLane's page
Henry Stephenson's page
Philip Van Zandt's page
Richard ThorpeDirector, 3 films, 1939 to 1942
All films by Richard Thorpe
Kurt NeumannDirector, 3 films, 1945 to 1947
All films by Kurt Neumann
Wilhelm ThieleDirector, 2 films, 1943
All films by Wilhelm Thiele
Also two films together1 more actor
- Georges RenaventTarzan and the Huntress (1947) and Tarzan and the Leopard Woman (1946)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.